Dispensing device for plastic materials



April 22, 1958 w. A. SHERBONDY 2,831,615

DISPENSING DEVICE FOR PLASTIC MATERIALS Filed Aug. 24, 1954 INVEN TOR. (JILL/AM A. JHLRBONDY alag gwez ORA/5%.

DISPENSING DEVIQCE FUR PLASTIC MATERIALS William A. Sherbondy, Shaker Heights, Ohio Application August 24, 1954, Serial No. 451,755

2 Claims. (Cl. 222-391) The present invention relates generally as indicated to cylinder body or receptacle of the cartridge to express the plastic material therefrom through a spout at the other end. Often, the spout end of the cartridge has. a frangible sealing disc or the like. thereacross which is punctured preparatory to use of the device. In some instances, the spout is a part. of the calking gun in which the cartridge is. inserted, and usually said gun is provided with an operating lever (in the form of a trigger) which operates. a ratchet mechanism to incrementally force a ratchet bar into engagement with the aforesaid closure member or piston of the cartridge.

Calking compounds, and other plastic materials as well, are compressible to some degree when forced under pressure from the cartridge or receptacle, and, as a result, when the calking gun is laid aside after use, the com.- 3fSSd material slowly expands, and thus the calking compound oozes or drips from the end of the spout.

It is one object of this invention to provide a dispensing device in which the dispensing spout is firmly fixed as a part of a disposable cartridge and provides a tight seal for indefinite shelf life of the cartridge and for prevention of loss of any of the material therefrom. Cartridges not thus tightly sealed permit hardening or leakage of the calking material whereby they are rendered non-saleable after storage by dealers for relatively short V periods.

It is another object of this invention to provide a, dispensing spout formed with an integral closed tip which is adapted to be severed and employed as a stopper or cap to close the spout when the device is not in use.

It is another object of this invention to provide a dispensing device which has a flexible end wall and spout construction adapted to be flexed so as to create a void in the body of the compressed plastic material after use of the dispensing device, into which void the material may expand to thus prevent oozing thereof from the end of the spout, even though the end of the spout remains unclosed.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprisesthe features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawings setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however,

2,831,515 .Patented Apr. 22, 1958 of but a few of the. various Ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side. elevation view showing the present improved dlspensing device associated with a calking gun of the character-referred to above;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged diametral cross-section view through the spout and the end of the cartridge receptacle to which the spoutis firmly secured;

Fig. 31is a fragmentary cross-section view of the end portion of the spout showing the manner in which the severed tip may be employed as a stopper;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 except illustrating a modification wherein the closed integral tip of the spout, when severed, is adapted tov be employed as a closure cap which fits over the outside of the severed end of the spout;

Fig. 5 shows a further modification of the spout tip whereby it is adapted to be employedas a closure cap;

Fig. 6 is a broken end view, in perspective, of the dispensing device as viewed-from the right in Fig. 1, but showing a modificationv in construction; and

Fig. 7 is a broken. sectional view of such modified construction the plane of the. section being indicated by the line 7-7 on Fig. 6.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, and first to Fig. 1, the dispensing. device is there shown as comprising a receptacle 1 of cylindrical form having a spout 2 at one end thereof and a closure member 3. at the other end in the form of a close-fitting piston. which is adapted to be moved axially in the receptacle 1 toforce the plastic material therein out of the spout 2.

By way of illustrative example, the cartridge composed of the parts 1, 2, and 3 is adapted to be supported by barrel 4 of a calking gun by inserting the spout 2 through the opening 5 at the end of the barrel and then moving the cartridge toward the right and dropping the same in the saddle-like portion of the barrel 4. The calking gun is provided with a piston-like hand grip 6 and with a pivotally mounted operating lever or trigger 7 which operates a ratchet mechanism (not shown) to incrementally move the ratchet rod 8 toward the right, whereby its end engages the piston 3.

The calking gun herein illustrated is merely exemplary and does not constitute any essential part of the present invention except for the anti-oozing mechanism at the spout end which will be described in detail in the ensuing description. I

Referring now more particularly to the cartridge and especially to Fig. 2, the receptacle 1 may comprise, for example, a mailing tube of cardboard or paper, preferably lined with impervious material on its inner surface 11, and obviously such lining may be a separate plastic or like film cemented in place or it may be inthe form of a coating applied by spraying or other expedient.

Snugly fitted in the end portion of the receptacle l is an annular member not thin sheet metal which has a radially outwardly extending flange 13 at one end in abutment with the end face of the receptacle 1 and'a radiice ally inwardly extending flange 14 at the other end. Then,

snugly fitted within said annular member 12 is another annular member 15, also preferably of thin sheet metal, which has a radially outwardly extending flange 16 at one end which, as shown in dotted lines, extends radially beyond the outside diameter of the receptacle I. Said annular member 15 also has aradially inwardly extending flange 17 at its other end which defines with the flange 14 an inwardly open annular groove.

The outer portion of the flange 16 is adapted to be spun or crimped to generally cylindrical form, as shown, to define an annular space with annular member 12 in which the end portion of the receptacle 1 is disposed and radially compressed to thus inseparably secure the annular members 12 and 15 insealing relation to the end of said receptacle 1. I

Firmly gripped in the aforesaid annular groove between flanges 14 and 17 in fluid-tight manner is the outer peripheral portion of the radially outwardly extending flange 20 of the spout 2, and, because the spout 2 is formed with an integral closed tip 21, the plastic material is contained in the receptacle 1 in fluid-tight manner without leaking or contamination, or exposure to air, moisture, etc.

The flange 20 of said spout 2 is preferably tapered, as shown, and the body of the spout proper includes a cylindrical base portion 22, an adjoining tapered portion 23, and a main body portion 24 which is preferably tapered at an angle of approximately 3 (included angle). Where made of flexible material, such flange of base portion 20 of the spout is capable of action as a diaphragm, as will be presently described.

The spout 2 adjacent its closed tip 21 is formed with a shoulder 25 which preferably is disposed obliquely, as shown, as is common practice in connection with spouts of calking devices and along which shoulder the spout is adapted to be severed when it is desired to use the cartridge to dispense material therefrom. The tip 21 is of diameter slightly greater than the diameter of the passage 26 at the severed end of the spout 2 so that, when said tip is reversed end for end, it may be snugly pressed into the end of the spout, as shown in Fig. 3, to thus constitute a closure member or, in other words, a plug or stopper. The tip portion 21 of the spout 2 is also formed with another obliquely disposed shoulder 2'7 which is adapted to abut the severed end of the spout and thus constitute a stop shoulder when inserting said tip 21 into the severed end of the spout.

In the modification illustrated in Fig. 4, the spout 39 is formed with a closed tip 31 including a tubular extension 32 which, when said tip is out along the line 33 and turned end for end, is adapted to be snugly fitted over the severed end of the spout. If desired, the tubular extension 32 may be internally threaded and the exterior of the severable end of the spout may be externally threaded, to engagethercwith; or, alternatively the form of tip 21 shown in Fig. 2 may be externally threaded as tip 31a, Fig. 5, and the tubular extension 30 be internally threaded to engage with said tip when severed along the dotted line 33, as illustrated, Fig. 5. In either case (with or without the threads), either tip 21, 31 or 31a when severed, constitutes a closure member or, more specifically, a cap for closing the discharge end of the spout.

The spouts herein described are preferably made of flexible plastic material, such as polyethylene for example, to name one of many flexible plastics and rubber-like materials which would be suitable for the purpose in hand, and, as a result such a spout may be tilted laterally, by manual pressure, or pressed inwardly at the base 26, so as to create a void space in the receptacle 1 adjacent the flange 20 or in the main body portion 24 of the spout itself into which compressed material may expand. In this way, oozing or dripping of the material from the end of the spout after the calking gun has been used and set aside is prevented. I

Instead of directly manually tilting the spout, as first described above, in order to create a void in the receptacle 1, means such as illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 will be desirably attached to the outer end of the barrel 4 of the calking gun, adjacent the opening 5 insuch end through which the spout 2 projects when the device is in use. As thus illustrated, themeans in question comprise an annular plate 35, hingedly attached at one side about a pivot 36 to the end of the barrel and extended at the opposite side to form a finger grip 37. Adjacent the opening 33 in the plate, the latter is provided with one or more in- 4 wardly directed projections 39. Normally the plate will lie at an angle, as shown in full lines in Fig. 7, but upon pressing inwardly on the finger piece 37 such projections 39 will force the base 20 of spout 2 inwardly with the same result as before, viz. an additional amount of the material is forced through the spout and when the latter is allowed to resume its normal position a void space is left in the receptacle.

From the foregoing, it can be seen that the flexible fiange 2G, in effect, constitutes a flexible diaphragm which displaces the plastic material so that, when the diaphragm or flange 20 returns to unflexed condition, there is left a void into which the plastic material, such as calking compound, may expand as its pressure is gradually relieved.

In calking devices of the character described which have cartridges of about 1% inch inside diameter and 8 /2 inch length, it has been found that often 1 inch or greater lengths of calking compound will continue to exude from a inch diameter spout for several seconds after the calking device, or cartridge, has been set aside. Accordingly, this much compound can be prevented from thus oozing from the space by a relatively small axial displacement of the material in the body thereof, since the latter is of considerably larger diameter. On occasion, a small amount of material may be forced out of the spout during the lateral tilting or axial displacement thereof, but the operator still has the gun in his hand and thus can readily apply such material to the job or wipe it off with a rag or a piece of paper. However, having operated the anti-oozing mechanism disclosed herein, the operator can safely set the gun down without danger of slow and gradual oozing of the material from the spout as has been experienced heretofore.

Other modes of applying the principle of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims, or the equivalent of such, be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In a dispensing device for calking compound and like slightly compressible'plastic materials, the combination of a generally cylindrical receptacle for such material, a flexible spout assembly at one end of said receptacle through which such material is adapted to be dispensed under pressure, a tight-fitting plunger in the other end of said receptacle adapted to be advanced axially therein to displace material under pressure through said spout assembly, said assembly comprising a tubular spout, and a resilient laterally flexible diaphragm extending radially outward from the inner end of said spout and having its periphery secured to said receptacle, said diaphragm, between its periphery and its junction with the inner end of said spout, being adapted to be flexed laterally inwardly relative to said receptacle to compress the material in said receptacle whereupon the laterally outward return of said diaphragm to its unflexed condition creates a void in the material into which the compressed material expands to thus preclude subsequent oozing thereof from the outer end of saidspout, said plunger remaining at its previously advanced position during such flexing of said diaphragm and consequent compression of the material in said receptacle.

2.. In a dispensing device for caulking compound and like slightly compressible plastic materials, the combination of a generally cylindrical receptacle for such material, a flexible spout assembly at one end of said receptacle through which such material is adapted to be dispensed under pressure, a tight-fitting plunger in the other end of said receptacle adapted to be advanced axially therein to displace material under pressure through said spout assembly, said assembly comprising a tubular spout, and a resilient laterally flexible diaphragm extending radially outward from the inner end of said spout and having its periphery securely to said receptacle, said diaphragm, between its periphery and its junction with the inner end of said spout, being adapted to be flexed laterally inwardly relative to said receptacle to compress the material in said receptacle whereupon the laterally outward return of said diaphragm to its unflexed condition creates a void in the material into which the compressed material expands to thus preclude subsequent oozing thereof from the outer end of said spout, said plunger remaining at its previously advanced position during such flexing of said diaphragm and consequent compression of the material in said receptacle, a receptacle holder, means on said holder for advancing said plunger in said receptacle, and a movable diaphragm contacting member on said holder for so flexing said diaphragm.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Fulton Mar. 8, Bukley Dec. 9, Russell Dec. 16, De Lage June 22, Baker Dec. 5, Paul Jan. 11, Fialip Apr. 29, Mathis Aug. 8, Kundtz et al. Apr. 24, Demarco June 17, Boyer Sept. 28, Etter July 10, 

